Madurai: Special teams formed by the district administration on Tuesday identified granite stones and marble worth a total of Rs 15,000 crore at a factory and quarries owned by PRP Exports in the district. As part of the crackdown on the granite mafia in the region, some of the 20 special teams formed by collector Anshul Mishra have been inspecting quarries in Melur taluk, while a few others have been conducting separate assessment work on the PRP Exports premises at Therkutheru.
At the PRP factory, officials found granite blocks — a total of 25,000 cubic metres — said to be worth Rs 6,750 crore, sources said. Over 200 staff and officials, led by five sub-collectors, have been roped in for the assessment in the district. As on Tuesday, the teams identified around 45,730 granite blocks, valued at Rs 8,000 crore at the quarries. Similar assessment work in Keelaiyur neared completion on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, special police teams have intensified the hunt for granite barons accused of illegal quarrying in the region. Police was also perusing the property documents of the fraudulent granite firms collected from the registrar’s office.
Complaints Pour in Police continued receiving complaints against illegal quarrying on Tuesday. Over 25 petitions have been filed till date. “We have registered 15 cases against the granite owners and firms. As many as 44 persons have been arrested,” detailed an official.
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